As portable computers have become more integrated in our daily lives, consumer demand has prompted an evolution towards increased flexibility. One relatively recent adaptation has been the development of alternative modes of data input, such as digitizers, to replace or augment the use of conventional alphanumeric keyboards. Digitizers have been adapted for computing devices to allow for, among other things, handwritten user input.
The advent of the digitizer interface has inspired tablet computing devices, including handheld personal digital assistants (PDAs), which are special purpose devices having limited computing power, and larger and more powerful general purpose tablet computers. PDAs and tablet computers provide the practical benefit of being compact when in use, because the display includes a digitizer (i.e., it is a touchscreen) that serves as the input device for receiving information from the user, so that the tablet has a relatively smaller footprint as compared to computers having a separate display and input device. PDAs and tablet computers typically enable the user to write, draw, and navigate using a pen-like stylus.
The implementation of digitizers into portable computers such as notebook, laptop and tablet computers has, for the most part, either replaced alphanumeric keyboards or has incorporated hybrid or integrated display/input devices for standard display screens.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,133,280 to Love, U.S. Pat. No. 7,027,297 to Mizuno et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,847,520 to Hashimoto, U.S. Pat. No. 6,771,494 to Shimano, U.S. Pat. No. 6,275,376 to Moon and U.S. Pat. No. 5,594,619 to Miyagawa et al. each disclose portable computing devices having hybrid or integrated display/input devices which portable computing devices are configured so that the hybrid or integrated display/input devices can be positioned so as to overlay conventional alphanumeric keyboards.
U.S. Pat. No 6,700,773 to Adriaansen et al. discloses several different configurations for personal computing devices, including an embodiment in FIGS. 13-20 that includes dual digitizers and main body 51 that includes a keyboard 55 on one side and a second digitizer 57 on the opposite side. A system of hinged arms allows each of the panel 53 (containing the first digitizer 61) and main body 51 to rotate about an axis that passes through the panel 53 (“Q”) and main body 51 (“S”). The hinged arm are further pivotal about a common axis (“R”).
Other U.S. patents and U.S. Application Publications that are directed to related electronic apparatus and devices and hinge configurations and assemblies for such apparatus and devices include U.S. Pat. No. 7,136,687 to Chang, U.S. Pat. No. 7,113,395 to Hara et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,096,540 to Watanabe et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,598 to Huang, U.S. Pat. No. 7,017,235 Lu et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,016,183 to Takemoto et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,010,834 to Barnett, U.S. Pat. No. 7,006,853 to Kang et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,999,802 to Kim, U.S. Pat. No. 6,944,012 to Doczy et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,900,891 to Kuivas et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,850,407 to Tanimoto et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,680,845 to Agata et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,587,333 to Tseng et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,704 to Tang, and U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2007/0086155 to Chen et al., 2007/0091553 to Chang, 2006/0238970 to Ukonabo et al., 2006/0230580 Watanabe et al., 2006/0135225 to Lin et al., 2006/0111160 to Lin et al. 2006/0007648 to Wang, 2005/0155184 to Kayl, 2005/0060843 to Hung, and 2004/0227045 to An et al.
The present invention provides an electronic apparatus with multiple data input modes that can be in the form of a laptop or notebook computer, a subnotebook computer, a personal digital assistant, a wireless phone, a digital camera, a hand held video or computer game or gaming device, or the like.